KANO State Governor, Abba Yusuf, on Friday, November 8, presented the state’s 2025 appropriation bill, totaling N549.16 billion, with significant portions allocated to education and healthcare.
The budget proposal, according to the governor, is aimed to tackle critical infrastructure gaps and improve social services in the state.
In his address to the Kano State House of Assembly, Yusuf outlined the breakdown of the proposed budget, which includes N312.63 billion for capital expenditure and N236.53 billion for recurrent expenditure.
The governor noted that the capital expenditure would largely focus on social and economic development, with N461.44 billion earmarked for these sectors.
“Mr. Speaker, Honourable Members, the size of the proposed 2025 Budget is N549,160,417,663.00 billion. The capital component is N312,634,912,672.18 billion, while the recurrent expenditure is set at N236,525,504,990.82 billion.
“The 2025 budget, when approved is projected to have a ratio of capital to recurrent 57:43 percent respectively. Most of the capital spending will be in the social and economic sectors to the tune of 461,447,963,240.86,” the governor said
Education and health take lion’s shares
While giving the breakdown of the proposed budget, Yusuf noted that education sector received the highest allocation of N168.35 billion, representing 31 per cent of the total budget.
Yusuf stated, “We have pledged to increase access to quality education despite the meager resources. In line with this, I want to inform this respected chamber that we are considering the resuscitation of Kano Education Development Support, KEDS, under the Ministry of Education. It is our plan to develop it into a functional agency that will support the funding of education specifically for Basic; Upper Basic and Post-Basic Education.”
In addition to education, healthcare received N90.6 billion, making up 16.5 per cent of the total budget.
Sectoral breakdown
The governor further detailed that the agricultural sector was allocated N21.04 billion (3.8 per cent), while infrastructure development received N70.68 billion (12.9 per cent).
Other sectors such as manufacturing, commerce, industry, and tourism, as well as environmental and sanitation efforts, were allocated N3.88 billion and N15.52 billion, respectively.
Further allocations included N17.34 billion for women, youth, and people with special needs, as well as N23.46 billion for security, justice, and emergency services. Water supply and rural development are set to receive N27.23 billion, while transport development was allocated N12.8 billion.
Yusuf emphasised that the proposed budget reflects the administration’s primary focus on human capital and infrastructural development, which he described as essential for the state’s progress.
“Therefore, I believe the legislature will give the necessary legal teeth in fine tuning its edict for full implementation,” he added.
Recall, on August 28, the State House of Assembly approved a N99 billion supplementary budget request from Governor Yusuf.
While making the request, the governor stated that the supplementary budget was crucial for fast-tracking priority projects aimed at improving the welfare of Kano’s residents.
The proposed budget includes N33.76 billion for personnel costs, N34.49 billion for overhead expenses, and N30.97 billion for capital expenditure. Commissioner for Planning and Budget, Musa Shanono, explained that with the supplementary budget, the total 2024 budget would rise from N437.34 billion to N536.56 billion.
Consequently, the state’s 2024 budget stood at N449 billion after the approval.
Usman Mustapha is a solution journalist with International Centre for Investigative Reporting. You can easily reach him via: umustapha@icirnigeria.com. He tweets @UsmanMustapha_M